Close - and yet so far away. That is the conclusion after a month and a half of waiting for a statement from the IMO about whether the convention aimed at cleaning ships' ballast water will come into force this year. And it will not, informs the IMO.

There were great expectations for developments concerning the convention, as both Indonesia, Morocco and Ghana, during the IMO assembly in late November, ratified the convention, which would hopefully add the necessary ratifications to have the convention come into force in November this year, as hoped for by numerous parties. But the three countries together were not enough, according to a review performed by IHS Maritime & Trade, which is responsible for ensuring that all requirements in the IMO's conventions are met.